Troy Gentry of country duo Montgomery Gentry dies in crash

LUMBERTON, N.J. (AP) -- The official website for Montgomery Gentry says Troy Gentry, half of the country duo, has died in a New Jersey helicopter crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration says the helicopter crashed into a wooded area Friday afternoon near the Flying W Airport in Medford.

Police said the flight took off from the airport and was returning to the airport; initial reports were the helicopter was going to attempt to crash land, but it suddenly crashed in a field just south of the airport runway.

The airport also houses a resort and was scheduled to host a concert by the country duo on Friday night. The airport announced the cancellation of the gig Friday afternoon.

The Medford Township Police Department also said the pilot, 30-year-old James Evan Robinson, also died.

Gentry was born April 5, 1967, in Lexington, Kentucky, where he met bandmate Eddie Montgomery and formed a group based off their last names.

The duo had success on the country charts, scoring five No. 1 hits. The band was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2009.

The incident remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Medford Township Police Department.